


Jimmy

by CrazyBatLady



Category: James Stewart - Fandom, Steam Powered Giraffe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-25
Updated: 2013-02-25
Packaged: 2017-12-03 14:49:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/699421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazyBatLady/pseuds/CrazyBatLady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Spine's various encounters with one of film's most famous names</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jimmy

July 2nd, 1915

As always, it was a wonderful day: the sky was a perfect shade of blue with clouds smeared across it at ideal intervals. While he couldn’t necessarily feel it, the Spine certainly appreciated the sunshine and breeze wafting through the park. He and his brothers had been performing there for the past few days, and the crowds they had been drawing were loud, large and very enthusiastic about the music they were playing. There was often a circle of ground in front of the stage where children and sometimes adults who had had a little to drink would dance and sing along, with the crowd standing back and clapping enthusiastically. The Spine was still new to this idea of human emotion but it struck him as something rather pleasant.

He was having a brief moment, along with his brothers, to fill up on water and check all his parts were still in working order and generally relax. He had taken up residence underneath a particularly shady tree. Looking up through tree foliage was something the Spine enjoyed doing at home. His photoreceptors slid shut a little, threatening to send him into stasis if they hadn’t caught something out of the corner of his eye. A boy, no older than eleven years old, stood a few feet away from him. He has a round face with bright eyes, topped with neatly combed brown-black hair. The boy’s eyes met the Spine’s photoreceptors, both of them staying still for a moment. The Spine smiled his best human smile.

“Hey there.”

The boy seemed somewhat shy, but half-smiled back anyway. He shuffled a few steps closer.

“Do you have a name?”

“J-Jimmy.”

The newly-named boy was now directly beside the silver bot, only a little taller than the robot’s sitting height.

“Why are you here?” The Spine asked, honestly wondering why such a small unattended human would be here.

“I came to see you with my mom. She’s a little way away over there. She said I can come and talk to you for a couple of minutes.”

The boy’s voice was kind, somewhat wiser sounding than his apparent years.

“Your voice sounds different to what I’m used to.” The Spine observed.

“I’m from Pennsylvania. My family came a long way for the World Fair, and I’m glad they did because it means I get to see you guys perform!”

Jimmy smiled more widely than before.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself then, Jimmy.” The Spine replied, trying to copy the young boy’s face. A female voice could be heard from a distance.

“Oh shoot, that’s my mom. I have to go. Before I do, take this.”

Jimmy rummaged around in his pockets, and produced a small model airplane. He gave it to the Spine before dashing off, not giving him much time to react. The Spine looked down at the plane and then at the boy, waving as he ran off.

He lay there for a few moments, looking at the plane before Rabbit came looking for him and he had to hide it away.

 

July 2nd, 1956

The day was just cooling off as Spine began to pack up the instruments. Rabbit and the Jon had decided that organisation was boring right now and had gone off to play with the local wildlife. He would have been annoyed if they hadn’t done it almost every other show. All he did was sigh and smile, steam coming from the vents on his newly upgraded face. He had not had it long, but he was getting used to it. Expressions were certainly easier than they had been.

Getting the last of the instruments into their cases, he could see someone coming over. The figure was dressed in a casual suit, his wide-brimmed hat dipping over his face. He walked over and stood by the Spine. He was one of the few people the Spine had seen that came close to his own height. The stranger flashed a smile and looked up, revealing his eyes.

“Heard you guys on stage just now, and you weren’t half bad. Glad I made the gap in my schedule to come.” His voice was smooth and comforting, and the Spine could swear that he had heard it before.

“Good thing you could make it then, Mr…?”

“Stewart.”

The Spine smiled at him and they exchanged handshakes.

“Well, good to meet you, Mr. Stewart. Can I ask why your schedule is so full?”

“Oh, this and that. You know how it can be sometimes.”

“I certainly do, sir.”

Mr. Stewart looked down at his watch, and his eyebrows rose up in surprise.

“That time already? How time flies. Good meeting you again, Mr. Spine.”

Again? Before the Spine could enquire, the man was gone again. It wasn’t until they had arrived back at the manor that Spine realised who that man had been. He recalled a few movie posters from his walks around San Diego, and how much he had admired the well-dressed, bright eyed man looking out at him.

 

July 2nd, 1997

“Spiiine, Rabbit won’t give me back my toast!”

“It’s not you have a m-m-monopoly on toast in this hhhh-ouse!”

“I made it though, gimme!”

“Make me!”

The Spine could only sigh as he sipped his morning coffee and watched his older and younger robotic siblings wrestle over the kitchen table for a single slice of toast. The radio blared in the background, giving the normal somewhat dull news updates from around the globe.

“If you two don’t settle down, I’ll be forced to eat that toast myself. And it will be delicious.”

Rabbit and the Jon looked at the Spine as he grinned, not sure if he was joking or not. Rabbit yielded, allowing a rather man-handled (or perhaps robot-handled) piece of toast to fall back on the Jon’s plate, much to Jon’s delight. In the relative silence that followed, a somewhat more interesting news article came on.

“It has been announced today that James Stewart, an actor famous for his smooth tones and cheerful demeanour, has died today at his home in Beverley Hills in California. He was 89. More on this story at 11.”

The relative silence became a dead silence. Something caught in the Spine’s throat, causing him to swallow slightly. He slowly put down his coffee cup.

“I…I need to go sort some things out.” He said quickly, his usually self-assured tone somewhat faltering.

“But I thought you said everything was r-r-ready for-”

Rabbit didn’t finish his sentence as he watched the Spine quickly stand and stride off. He heard his brother’s heavy footsteps on the floor above him.

Rabbit was used to the Spine being somewhat secretive.

He was even used to him simply wandering off like this.

However, he didn’t always have a thin streak on black running down his face as he did so.

…

Sitting in a corner of his stasis chamber, he pulled out the small model plane. It was in good condition considering its 82-year history. He held in his palms, its small wooden frame looking so out of place against his harsh metal hands. He placed it on the floor in front of him, before hunching up and letting more oily tears stain his face and sleeves.

His brothers never had to know.

All he needed was a few minutes to remember and mourn.

He would fine in a few minutes.


End file.
